Defy Partners
Venture capitalWoodside · Pre-Seed–Series A · 4 people tracked
Also known as Defy Partners GOALS · DEFY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT, LLC
Investment thesis
Operates a Sage model where CEOs and serial founders embed as hands-on operators, sometimes interim leaders, hatch and prototype startups internally, and bring hundreds of millions in follow-on capital.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 11, 2026.
Team · 4 people
from public directories
What they invest in
from 20 of 81 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×9SaaS ×8Enterprise Software ×6Healthtech ×5Cybersecurity ×4Developer Tools ×4Biotech ×3Data & Infrastructure ×3
HQs:United States×24
Investments · 81 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 12024 · 12023 · 12022 · 12021 · 22020 · 32019 · 22018 · 12015 · 113 dated
Nautilus develops proteomics technology to unlock the complexity of the human proteome for biomedical research and diagnostics.
BiotechDeep TechMedical DevicesSeattle, US
Sujal Patel(Founder & CEO)inParag Mallick(Founder & Chief Scientist)inMelissa Epperly(Director)inNicholas Nelson(Executive Officer)Subra Sankar(Executive Officer)Farzad Nazem(Director)in
San Diego, US
Abhijit Bose(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardAmiya Kumar Pathak(Director)
Board seatNeil Sequeira· per SEC Form D · $3.2M raise · filed Dec 2024
Portland, US
PHILIP G. ZAHND(Executive Officer, Director)STEWART BUTTERFIELD(Director)TED MAIDENBERG(Director)
Board seatNeil Sequeira· per SEC Form D · $3.6M raise · filed Aug 2015
Genemod builds a cloud-based platform that centralizes research data, experiment tracking, and process management for life science and therapeutics teams.
BiotechHealthtechSaaSEdmonds, US
Zachary Gut(Director)Michael Gregoire(Director)Jin Choe(Director, Promoter)Jacob Lee(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Anil Arora(Executive Officer)
Board seatNeil Sequeira· per SEC Form D
Los Angeles, US
Eric Greenspan(Director)Giada De Laurentiis(Executive Officer, Director)Ana Carolina Grabowsky Seiler C Guerra(Executive Officer)Lindsey Galey(Executive Officer)
BoardDerek Norton(Director)
Board seatNeil Sequeira· per SEC Form D
Detroit, US
Louis Gelinas(Executive Officer)Ryan Meitl(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardSonali Vijayavargiya(Director)Alison Accavitti(Director)
Board seatNeil Sequeira· per SEC Form D
San Francisco, US
Brian Shin(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatNeil Sequeira· per SEC Form D · $3M raise · filed Apr 2020
Real-time in-meeting sales coaching powered by AI
Cambridge, US
PRZEMYSLAW GOTFRYD(Executive Officer, Director)IGNACIO MORENO(Executive Officer)LUIS BASAGOITI(Executive Officer)MIGUEL FERNANDEZ(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardMATT BURTON(Director)
Elevate Security analyzes cyber event telemetry across phishing, malware, browsing, and data handling to identify which employees pose the highest security risk, then automates coaching and access decisions based on their behavior.
CybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Frigade provides an SDK and AI-powered platform for building product onboarding flows including checklists, tours, and announcements that adapt to product changes.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Eric Brownrout(Founder)inChristian Mathiesen(Founder)in
BoardGuillermo RauchArash Ferdowsi
Fullscript is a clinical platform for healthcare providers to manage supplements, lab ordering, personalized care plans, and patient adherence within their existing EHR workflows.
Digital HealthHealthtechWellness & Fitness
Honorlock provides online exam proctoring services that combine AI-powered monitoring with live human proctors to protect academic integrity for educational institutions.
EdTechBoca Raton, US
ADAM M. ROTH(Executive Officer, Director)MICHAEL HEMLEPP(Executive Officer, Director)DANIEL CANE(Director)JOANNE SCHELLER(Director)ELENA SOBOLEVA(Executive Officer, Director)
Southeast Asia digital credit / buy-now-pay-later company
Monitaur provides governance and accountability solutions for AI models and systems to ensure responsible development and fair outcomes.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechInsurTechSector AgnosticBoston, US
Anthony Habayeb(Executive Officer, Director)Andrew Clark(Executive Officer, Director)David Verrill(Director)
Mother Science creates biotech-based skincare products featuring Malassezin, a naturally-occurring molecule, for consumers seeking scientifically-validated beauty solutions.
BiotechConsumerHealthtech
Mike Einziger(Founder)Ann Marie Simpson-Einziger(Founder)
Novi provides verified product data and optimization services for CPG and retail brands to ensure their products are understood, trusted, and recommended by AI-driven shopping systems.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureE-commerceMarketing TechRetail TechLarkspur, US
Kimberly Shenk(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Brian Rothenberg(Director)
Patreon is a membership platform that enables creators to build communities, share exclusive work, and monetize their output through direct fan support, eliminating algorithmic dependence.
Creator EconomyMarketplacesSaaSSan Francisco, US
Jack Conte(Founder)Sam Yam(Founder)Dick Costolo(Director)Daniel Rimer(Director)Goli Sheikholeslami(Director)Anne Raimondi(Director)
San Francisco, US
Brian Rothenberg(Director)Matthew Walters(Director)Luke Hutchison(Executive Officer, Director)
HackerOne Code is an AI-powered code security platform that combines automated vulnerability detection with expert human review to identify and remediate security issues within developers' existing tools and workflows.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareAustin, US
Lyal Avery(Founder/CEO)in
BoardAnna Patterson(Director)
PuppyGraph is a zero-ETL graph analytics engine that lets data teams query existing relational data stores as a unified graph model without a separate graph database or data migration.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsSaaSSanta Clara, US
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Exits · 1
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioNautilus BiotechnologyNASDAQ: NAUT
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesFrigade · ycombinator.com · Jul 9, 2026
Nautilus Biotechnology · finance.yahoo.com · May 5, 2026
Securly · trysignalbase.com · Mar 25, 2026
Reveal Technology · defensedaily.com · Jul 30, 2025
Fund performance · per public LP disclosures · 3
as of Jun 2025| Fund | Vintage | Committed | Net IRR | TVPI | DPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defy Partners IIILPs: Los Angeles City Employees' Retirement System | 2021 | — | -7.1% | 0.91x | 0.00x |
| Defy Partners IILPs: Los Angeles City Employees' Retirement System | 2019 | — | 28.6% | 2.64x | 0.00x |
| Defy Partners ILPs: Los Angeles City Employees' Retirement System | 2017 | — | 15.7% | 2.15x | 0.24x |
Source: public limited-partner disclosures (CalPERS, CalSTRS). Net IRR / TVPI / DPI as reported by the limited partner; a fund's early-year IRR is an interim estimate (J-curve).
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Defy Partners invest at?
- Defy Partners invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Defy Partners's typical check size?
- Defy Partners typically writes checks of $3M – $10M.
- What sectors does Defy Partners focus on?
- Defy Partners focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Data & Infrastructure, Deep Tech, EdTech, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Healthtech, Media & Entertainment, SaaS.
- Where is Defy Partners located?
- Defy Partners is headquartered in Woodside, US.
- Does Defy Partners lead rounds?
- Yes, Defy Partners leads investment rounds.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamSTARTUP ALLEY: Neil Sequeira (Defy Partners) + Stacey Bishop (Scale)
TechCrunch · Neil Sequeira
Tesla beat Ford because people are talking about it, says Defy Partners' Neil Sequeira
Neil Sequeira · cnbc.com
Images
Co-investors · 52
BAM Ventures is an early-stage investment firm made up of experienced entrepreneurs based in Southern California, backing founders building consumer-focused technologies, products, and services that transform commerce.
General Catalyst is a venture capital and investment firm that backs founders across industries, with a strong focus on AI-driven transformation, fintech, healthcare, and other sectors.
Tiger Global is a research-driven investment firm that partners with innovative, high-quality companies over the long term across various stages of their lifecycle.
Madrona Venture Group is an early-stage venture capital firm that backs founding teams at seed, early, and acceleration stages, primarily in Seattle, the Bay Area, and beyond.
MaC Venture Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm that partners closely with founders, offering hands-on support and strategic involvement beyond capital.
Owl Ventures is a venture capital firm focused exclusively on education technology and the future of work, backing companies from pre-revenue through exit.
Greylock Partners is a venture capital firm that backs founders at the earliest stages, often as their first investor before a product exists.
Techstars is a startup accelerator and early-stage investor that funds ambitious founders and provides capital, mentorship, and access to a global network of investors, operators, and corporate partners.
Gradient is a seed-stage venture fund focused on backing founders building artificial intelligence companies, offering hands-on support as builders and mentors.
Acrew Capital is a venture capital firm that emphasizes a team-based approach to investing, offering portfolio companies access to its full team.
Ballistic Ventures is a venture capital firm focused exclusively on backing cybersecurity entrepreneurs, drawing on the operating experience of investors who have founded, funded, and operated over 90 companies.
▶40 more co-investors
Underscore VCMSIVSequoia CapitalGV (Google Ventures)Founders FundLightspeed Venture PartnersKhosla VenturesAlumni VenturesLong Journey VenturesNotable CapitalSpark CapitalIVP (Institutional Venture Partners)Streamlined VenturesFirstMarkNextView VenturesUpHonest CapitalMeritech Capital PartnersLerer HippeauM13Tribe Capital FirstlookGeneral PartnershipAntlerCowboy VenturesComcast Ventures468 CapitalTCVRocketship.vcCrosscut VenturesVoyager CapitalPitango1984 Ventures Management, LlcMassMutual Venturesmuru-DH.I.G. Growth PartnersMoonfire VenturesKyber Knight CapitalAlpha EdisonBrick Mortar VenturesVirginia Venture PartnersZigg Capital
Firms observed investing alongside Defy Partners, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Defy Partners's recorded portfolio.
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